Washboard



(No Model.)

0. BLAKE. WASHBOARDK No. 497,112. Patented May 9, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER BLAKE, OF IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

WASH BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,112, dated May 9, 1893. Application filed April 4, 1892. Serial No. 427,729. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER BLAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Irvington,in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washboards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which 1t appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked phereon, which form a part of this specificaion.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in wash-boards, and it has for its object to provide in connection with a waslrboard of ordinary construction, a soap box so arranged as to render its contents readily accessible from either side of the board, the covers of the box being connected at their upper edges by means of a thin strip of sheet-metal which serves both as a hinge for the covers, and also as a spring to automatically open the covers when the latch or other fastening is released.

To this end and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same consists in the peculiar construction, and in the novel combination, arrangement and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon form a part of this specification, like letters of reference indicating the same parts throughout the both views, and in which drawings Figure 1, is a perspective view of a washboard provided with my improved form of soap-box, with one of the covers shown as open. Fig. 2, is avertical section through the Wash board and soap-box.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a washboard of ordinary construction, and provided, as is common, with a corrugated or roughened surface upon each face of the board. The

side strips of the frame B, near the upper ends of said strips. The covers E, one upon either side of the space 0, are each of a width corresponding with the width of the space within which they are fitted. These lids or covers are connected along their upper longitudinal edges by means of a strip G, of thin sheet metal of a spring nature, said strip being passed over the shaft or roller D. At the upper edge of the wash-board suitable buttons H, or other form of fastening device are employed, which serve to hold the covers of the soap-box closed, against the tension of the springstrip G.

The operation of the device is simple and will be readily understood. It will be seen that whichever side of the wash-board may be uppermost, the cover or lid E of the soap box upon that side of the board maybe used. By turning the button H the lid will be thrown upward by the tension of the spring strip G.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent, is-- In combination with a wash-board having two rubbing faces, a soap-box at the upper end of the board, and a roller or shaft journaled centrally at the top of said box twolids or covers for the box, one upon each side with tapered lower edges, said lids being connected along their upper longitudinal edges, which terminate below the lower periphery of said roller by means of a thin strip of spring metal, said strip being passed over said shaft or roller, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER BLAKE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT J. STILLWELL, JOHN H. VAN GLEVE. 

